WASHINGTON, July 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reiterated that Iran must suspend its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities before the United State begins talks with Iran.

"It should be very clear to everyone, the United States has a condition for the beginning of negotiations with Iran, and that condition remains the verifiable suspension of Iran's enrichment and reprocessing activities," Rice told reporters after meeting with Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu and Premier Hashim Thaci.

"That remains the U.S. position, and it will continue to be the U.S. position," she said.

On the U.S. decision to send Undersecretary of State William Burns to Geneva to participate in nuclear talks with Iran's top negotiator Saeed Jalili, Rice said that "It is, in fact, a strong signal to the entire world that we have been very serious about this diplomacy and we will remain very serious about this diplomacy."

Burns will attend international talks with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in Geneva on Saturday. He is to reiterate American stand that high-level U.S.-Iran talks is possible if the latter halts uranium enrichment, the White House said Wednesday.

The United States severed its ties with Iran in 1980. Since then, Washington has been trying to beef up its sanctions against Tehran for allegedly developing secretly nuclear weapons and for being involved in anti-U.S. coalition forces activities.